por favor
standard
Please is por favor in Argentina. Friends often shorten it to porfa or porfi.
Meaning: polite request word (adverb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| por favor | standard |
| porfa | casual |
| porfi | casual, affectionate |
Por favor goes at the start or the end of a request: Un café, por favor. Porfa and porfi are used with people you know and sound friendly, even a bit childlike.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
With strangers and in shops stay with por favor and add disculpe if you need to get attention.
How does it change in a sentence?
Requests in Argentina often use the vos command: Pasame la sal, por favor, where standard Spanish would say Pásame.
Did you know?
- The shortened form porfi is typical of casual Argentine speech, especially in text messages.
Examples in context
- Un café, por favor.A coffee, please.
- Ayudame, porfa.Help me, please.
- Pasame la sal, por favor.Pass me the salt, please.
Example conversation
Bruno asks the waiter Iván for the bill at a restaurant in San Telmo.
- BrunoDisculpe, ¿me trae la cuenta, por favor?Excuse me, could you bring me the bill, please?
- IvánEnseguida.Right away.
- BrunoGracias.Thank you.
